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larinda_booksandanxiety's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Homophobia, Racism, Animal death, Child death, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Gun violence, Murder, and Racism
Minor: Cannibalism
littlelizzieborden's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Child abuse, Grief, Racial slurs, Self harm, and Suicide
Minor: Kidnapping, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Animal death
brittonmc1221's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Blood, and Mental illness
abbruzzese's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
this book is like the temptation of the burning flame—impossible to turn away from; painful to the touch.
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Racism, Blood, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, and Outing
Moderate: Violence, Suicide attempt, Miscarriage, and Death
Minor: Child abuse
christcore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Murder, Suicide, Violence, Racism, and Animal death
Moderate: Sexual content, Child abuse, Gun violence, and Homophobia
rcampbell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This has the same dark, other-worldly, southern gothic feel to it. The story follows one boy, his family and the rural town he grows up in over one summer. Lots of moral lessons regarding religion, the "devil" amongst us and what evil is, were heavy going and not the most subtle but thoroughly enjoyed the story telling and use of language.
The setting is perfect and clearly one that McDaniels knows well. The heat and stiffling sense of the town was tangible, building as the tension in the story grew.
One reservation I have is in McDaniel's characterisation of the town's apparently only person with a disability as angry and bitter and being the 'evil villain' figure in the plot. This particular trope felt outdated and the book was written in 2016. Think this is a bit lazy and has the potential to perpetuate long-standing harmful trope of connecting disfigurement/disability with villainy. Or maybe this was the point....?!
I will look out for her future publications as I enjoy her use of setting, language and story telling and raced through this book in a couple of days.
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual violence, Violence, Suicide, Murder, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
lorylor's review against another edition
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Violence, Torture, Suicide, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Minor: Cannibalism, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Miscarriage